Naked Astronomy

Work, rest and play: Mars and space tourism

NASA’s Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission lands on Mars next month after a nine-month journey across our Solar System. On arrival the most advanced suite of instruments ever sent to the red planet will get to work. In this edition of the podcast, geologist and MSL scientist Professor Sanjeev Gupta, from Imperial College London, discusses the excitement and science behind the mission with Spaceflight UK’s Jerry Stone and Space Boffins Sue Nelson and Richard Hollingham. Plus, a report from the recent European space tourism conference where the major players pitched their space trips and a fascinating look back at the first manned Gemini spacecraft, Gemini 3, with original mission recordings from the launch. Do you know why it was called Molly Brown? Answers on a small asteroid please.

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